Scouring compositions such as those particulate compositions or liquid, gel, paste-type compositions containing abrasive components are well known in the art. Such compositions are used for cleaning hard surfaces, especially those surfaces that tend to become soiled with difficult to remove stains and soils in for example the kitchen and/or bathroom environments.
Amongst the currently known scouring compositions, the most popular ones are based on abrasive particles with shapes varying from spherical to irregular. The most common abrasive particles are either inorganic like carbonate salt, clay, silica, silicate, shale ash, perlite and quartz sand or organic polymers beads like polypropylene, PVC, Melamine, polyacrylate and derivatives, and come in the form of liquid composition having a creamy consistency with the abrasive particles suspended therein.
The surface safety profile of such currently known scouring compositions is inadequate. Indeed, due to the presence of very hard abrasive particles, these compositions can damage, i.e., scratch, the hard surfaces onto which they have been applied. Indeed, the formulator needs to chose between good cleaning performances but featuring strong surface damage or compromising on the cleaning performances while featuring acceptable surface safety profile. Furthermore, in general high levels of abrasive particles are needed to reach good cleaning performance, thus leading to high formulation and process cost, difficult rinse and end cleaning profiles, as well as limitation for lotion aesthetics. In addition, such currently known scouring compositions are perceived by consumers as outdated.
The Applicant has found that a new generation of liquid scouring compositions can be based on melamine foam fibres. Indeed, such compositions deliver an excellent cleaning, i.e., solid and stains removal, performance on a variety of soils and stains, such as: food stains such as coffee and grease; marker pens; limescale; encrusted carbon or clay-based dusts, an the like. Furthermore, melamine foam fibres-based compositions have an improved surface safety profile as compared to current scouring compositions. Indeed, melamine foam fibres-based compositions do not or do to a reduced degree damage, i.e., scratch, hard surfaces to which they are applied. Furthermore, the use melamine foam fibres in liquid cleaning compositions provides a unique shape and size geometry both at microscopic level (i.e., very small and sharp fiber for efficient scrapping) and at macroscopic level (i.e., abrasive particles made of fibers connected to each other) Indeed, a part of the melamine foam fiber are present in the composition as larger particles made of a network of fine fibers delivering macroscopic cleaning while another part of the melamine foam fiber are present in the composition are present as the fine fibers providing microscopic cleaning.
However, it has been found that the stability of liquid compositions comprising melamine foam fibres can be improved by selecting a specific pH range at which such compositions are formulated. Indeed, it has been found that the melamine foam fibres in such liquid compositions may release formaldehyde into the liquid compositions at certain pH values, in particular upon storage of such compositions over a prolonged period of time. The presence of increased levels of formaldehyde in liquid cleaning compositions used in hard surface cleaning compositions, in particular hard surface cleaning compositions for use in domestic cleaning applications, is not desirable. Furthermore, in certain countries government safety standards regulate the permissible levels of formaldehyde in liquid cleaning compositions and prevent the sale of hard surface cleaning compositions comprising increased levels of formaldehyde.
It is thus an objective of the present invention to provide a liquid hard surface cleaning compositions comprising melamine foam fibres that maintain a low level of formaldehyde upon storage of such compositions even over a prolonged period of time or even liquid hard surface cleaning compositions comprising melamine foam fibres wherein substantially no formaldehyde is released upon storage of such compositions even over a prolonged period of time.
It has been found that the above objective can be met by the composition according to the present invention.
It is an advantage of the compositions according to the present invention that they may be used to clean hard surfaces made of a variety of materials like glazed and non-glazed ceramic tiles, enamel, stainless steel, Inox®, Formica®, vinyl, no-wax vinyl, linoleum, melamine, glass, plastics.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the compositions herein are safe to consumers and not damaging to the treated surface, especially delicate surface such as linoleum, glass, plastic or chromed surfaces.